Weekly Justice Highlights

Empowering Women: On 19 April 2013, a five-year old girl was abducted and brutally raped in Delhi, by her neighbor and another man for 48 hours. She had gone out to play with her friends when one of the men who lived in the same building kidnapped her and eventually left her unconscious and bleeding after trying to strangle her.  Advocate in solidarity with others for justice and safety.  (International action is available)  

Promoting Peace:  U.S. citizens are asked to thank or express their disappointment at the action of U.S. Senators (1.202.224.3121; charges apply) last week with regard to legislation that would have required background checks on those purchasing guns.  To see how U.S. Senators voted, click here.  

Care of Earth:  Urge President Obama, Congress and the Foodand Drug Administration to put a halt on any approval of AquaBounty GMO salmon.  (Act by April 26)   

Bottled Water: Urge Coke CEO Kent to end interference in National Park policy and to allow parks to make decisions with regard to bottled-water sales doing what is right for the environment, taxpayers and the tap.   

Immigration: Many groups continue to analyze the “gang of 8” Senate immigration bill released last week.  There are also reports of a group of bipartisan legislators working in the House of Representatives on a second plan of immigration reform.  Urge Senators that as they debate they make sure that there are enough visas to keep families together and that there is a reasonable path to citizenship for immigrants.   

Hunger in America:  To help legislators understand hunger in America, individuals are asked to urge members of Congress to schedule a visit to a food bank in 2013.  

U.S. citizens are invited to contact their member of Congress to close the School of the America’s for good.  

Louisville:  On May 9 at 6:30 p.m., Michael Dowd on “Beyond Sustainability: A Realistically Inspiring Vision” will be guest speaker at the annual KY Interfaith Power and Light Awards Dinner to be held at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Louisville.  Reservations can be made by clicking here. 

Weekly Justice Highlights

Empowering Women: Currently, the Afghan Government is holding peace talks with the Taliban and the US Government - but women are not at the negotiating table.  Individuals are invited to urge the Afghan, U.S.,and Australian governments not to forget Afghan women in the current peace negotiations.   (International actions is available)   

Empowering Women:  Tell Victoria Secret and Limited Brands’ communications team and board of directors to stop sexualized marketing to younger girls (this objectifies woman, denies her value and disrespects the woman).  

Care of Earth:   Offer President Obama and Secretary ofState John Kerry a reason to reject the Keystone XL pipeline in an effort to protect resources for future generations and protect Earth from climate change.    

Challenging unjust government systems:  U.S. citizens are invited to call members of Congress and President Obama urging them to take social security cuts in the form of smaller cost-of-living adjustments off the table in the FY 2014 budget.  Social security has nothing to do with the deficit and thus I oppose all efforts to cut social security and to increase taxes on wealthy individuals and profitable corporations. Action can also be taken by clicking here.   

Challenging Unjust Corporations: Urge Nike to stop doing business with Daewoo International, a company that knowingly profits from forced labor in Uzbekistan.  

Farm Bill Reauthorization:  Individuals are invited to call (1.202.224.3121; charges apply) Senate Agriculture Committee members ( Senators Michael Bennet, CO ; Saxby Chambliss, GA; Tom Harkin, IA; Charles Grassely, IA; Joe Donnelly, IN; Mitch McConnell, KY; Pat Roberts, KS; William Cowan, MA; Debbie Stabenow, MI; Amy Klobuchar, MN; Thad Cochran, MS; Max Baucus, MT; John Hoeven, ND; Heidi Heitkamp, ND; Mike Johanns, NE; Kirsten Gillibrand, NY; John Thune, SD; and Patrick Leahy, VT) urging them to write a new farm bill that provides struggling families in need of food with additional funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and oppose any cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

Nuclear Weapons:  U.S. citizens are invited to call U.S. Representatives (1.202.224.3121; charges apply) to co-sponsor H.R. 1506 (the Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures Act) to save money by cutting wasteful nuclear weapons spending. 

Care of Earth:  Urge President Obama to take action for climate change as stated boldly in his inaugural and State of the Union addresses. 

An Earth day prayer service prepared by the Sisters of the Holy Cross Justice office.

Immigration:  The newly released Senate bill is located here.

KY:  On April 22, Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light is offering a program entitled, Cool Harvest: Food, Faith and Climate at the Church of Epiphany (914 Old Harrod Creeks Road, Anchorage, KY) at 7 pm.  The program explores the realities, the possibililities and our responsibilities around food, faith and our environment.  More information is located here.  (Scroll down)

Weekly Justice Highlights

Challenging Unjust Corporations:  Urge ExxonMobil to release all the information about the pipeline and spill that spewed tens of thousands of barrels of oil with tar sands crude in Arkansas.

Challenging Unjust Corporations: Individuals are invited to sign a petition urging the governments of Germany, France and the Netherlands to protect our everyday vegetables and fruits from Monsanto and Co. who desire growers to pay them and risk being sued if they don’t.  (International Action available)

Promoting Peace: It is not too late to contact U.S.Senators (202.224.3121; Charges apply) on the topic of gun violence.  Urge them to enact universal background checks and pass other needed gun violence prevention measures such as bans on semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, gun trafficking laws, and improved access to mental health services. 

Promoting Peace: Urge President Obama to stop the flaunting of U.S. military might and seek diplomatic avenues to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.  

Death Penalty: Abdullah al-Qahtani could soon be executed in Iraq for a false confession as four of the six co-defendants were executed this week.  Abdullah is a Saudi Arabian man convicted of robbery and murder under Iraq's Anti-Terrorism Law. Amnesty is monitoring his case closely due to the very serious concerns that have been raised by his lawyers about his treatment in detention and the fairness of his trial.  Take action in support for life and basic human rights of Abdullah and others who face the death penalty in Iraq. 

President Obama has endorsed cutting Social Security and veterans’ benefits by using the “chained CPI” to lower the cost-of-living adjustment in his proposed FY 2014 budget.   The Congressional Budget Office says the amount saved would be $163 billion over ten years.  Urge President Obama and Congress to cut the Pentagon budget (end war in Afghanistan, cut the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and cut Pentagon contracting) instead of cutting Social Security and veterans’ benefits.   

Urge U.S. Representatives to protect the SNAP (Food Stamps) program by encouraging more members of Congress to co-sponsor H. Res 90, that proposes NO more cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

With the release of the President’s proposed FY 2014 Budget, individuals are invited to thank President Obama for the early childhood education initiative (expanding voluntary home visiting programs, investing in partnerships between Early Head Start and child care programs and provide all low-income families access to high-quality prekindergarten programs). 

KY: Cathy Jarboe, Director of Catholic State Networks and Organizations for the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty, will speak in Bardstown and Elizabethtown on April 16 (St. Joseph Basilica at 110 N. 5th St. in Bardstown in Flaget Hall, NOON - 1pm (light lunch served, please register); and St. James Catholic Church at 307 W. Dixie Ave in Elizabethtown, 7 - 9 pm.) AND in Louisville on April 17 (The Maloney Center, 1200 S. Shelby in Louisville from 2 - 4 pm; and 7 - 9 pm.). Staff from the Catholic Conference will also present, as will a representative of the Ky. Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.  Archbishop Kurtz is planning to attend the April 17 2 p.m. session.  Anyone wishing to attend the above sessions is asked to send NAME, PHONE NUMBER, EMAIL to Sharon Schuhmann at sschuhmann@archlou.org  Cathy will also be on Nazareth campus at 3 pm on April 16 in the 2^nd floor community room of the Motherhouse.

Louisville:  On April 30, from 1 to 4 pm at the Holiday Inn (Hurtsbourne/I-64East) will host a Free Fair Housing Training.  It will focus on basic fair housing law and will also include a brief diversity session. The event is being sponsored by the Lexington Fair Housing Council, the Kentucky Housing Corporation and the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission.  To register for the training go to: http://lexingtonfairhousing.com/services, call (859) 971-8067, toll free: 1-866-438-8617, or send an e-mail to: crosbylfhc@hotmail.com

Weekly Justice Highlights

Good News: The Arms Trade Treaty was adopted by 154 nations at the United Nations on April 2.  This treaty will help monitor and control the flow of arms and ammunition across borders. Send a thank you to the U.S. delegation for their work.  

Promoting Peace: Urge President Obama to stop the flaunting of U.S. military might and seek diplomatic avenues to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. 

Immigration:  Justice for Immigrants has informed us that U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s office is being flooded with anti-immigrant messages.  We can change that by urging Senator Rubio to use his leadership on this issue and continue support for immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented.  Call Senator Rubio’s office at 202.224.3041 (Charges apply) OR email him.  Thank him for his outstanding work with the Gang of Eight and encourage him to continue his immigration reform efforts.

Immigration: The LCWR has become aware that the Senate bipartisan proposal is likely to eliminate certain family-based visa categories-siblings and adult children in particular. Please tell both your senators (1.866.940.2439; no charges) that you oppose eliminating or weakening any of the current family categories and immigration reform must prioritize family unity.  For information on how to get more involved in the push for immigration reform, as well as talking points on family unity and the IIC's recommendations to Congress, click here. 

Promoting Peace:  April 9^th is an interfaith call-in day to prevent gun violence in the U.S.  Individuals are invited to call Senators (888.897.1074; NO charges).  Tell Senators and Representatives you are a member of a faith community and to require universal background checks for all gun purchases (including online and gun shows); ban semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; make gun trafficking a federal crime and improve access to mental health services.  The US Catholic Bishops also have a message for editing here. 

Care of Earth: The State Department recently released a new Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline, leaving us less than a month to weigh in on the pipeline before the project proposal goes to President Obama for approval or rejection.  Submit a public comment and urge President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry to reject the Keystone XL pipeline.

Care of Earth:  Urge the CEOs of Anglo American and RioTinto to break with their predecessors and abandon their disastrous plans for the Pebble Mine. 

Nuclear Weapons: Urge President Obama to commence good faith negotiations for a treaty banning nuclear weapons in accordance with our obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.  

Recently the Associated Press stopped using the term “illegal,” urge the New York Times to stop calling people “illegal” by clicking here. 

Sign a petition supporting the Congressional Halt in Pay Increases and Cut Congressional Pay Act (HR 398) that would cut Congressional pay by 10% and repeal the current automatic pay increases. 

Call Senator Mitch McConnell (202.224.3121; charges apply) and urge him to fund the Value Added Producer Grant Program at $30 million for FY 2014.  These dollars will directly help farmers in our community improve their operations, create new jobs, and meet local demand for their products.”

KY: Cathy Jarboe, Director of Catholic State Networks and Organizations for the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty, will speak in Bardstown and Elizabethtown on April 16 (St. Joseph Basilica at 110 N. 5th St. in Bardstown in Flaget Hall, NOON - 1pm (light lunch served, please register); and St. James Catholic Church at 307 W. Dixie Ave in Elizabethtown, 7 - 9 pm.) AND in Louisville on April 17 (The Maloney Center, 1200 S. Shelby in Louisville from 2 - 4 pm; and 7 - 9 pm.). Staff from the Catholic Conference will also present, as will a representative of the Ky. Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.  Archbishop Kurtz is planning to attend the April 17 2 p.m. session.  Anyone wishing to attend the above sessions is asked to send NAME, PHONE NUMBER, EMAIL to Sharon Schuhmann at sschuhmann@archlou.org  Cathy will also be on Nazareth campus at 3 pm on April 16 in the 2^nd floor community room of the Motherhouse.

Louisville:  On April 30, from 1 to 4 pm at the Holiday Inn (Hurtsbourne/I-64East) will host a Free Fair Housing Training.  It will focus on basic fair housing law and will also include a brief diversity session. The event is being sponsored by the Lexington Fair Housing Council, the Kentucky Housing Corporation and the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission.  To register for the training click here, call (859) 971-8067, toll free: 1-866-438-8617, or send an e-mail to: crosbylfhc@hotmail.com